Fundraising under way for four children of Rockland murder victim

Sunday

Jun 15, 2014 at 6:59 PMJun 16, 2014 at 8:43 AM

Friends, family and strangers from the South Shore and beyond are rallying around the four adult children of 52-year-old Patricia Langley, who died Wednesday evening after being stabbed three times at the family home.

Jessica Trufant The Patriot Ledger @JTrufant_Ledger

ROCKLAND – Friends, family and strangers from the South Shore and beyond are rallying around the four adult children of 52-year-old Patricia Langley, who died Wednesday after being stabbed three times at the family home.

Her husband, Richard S. Langley, 56, pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Thursday in Hingham District Court.

A fundraiser set up by staff of Jefferson Elementary School in Rockland on GoFundMe.com had collected $8,305 from 142 donors as of early this morning. Langley worked at the school as an aide for special education students.

Deirdre Ewell Thibault, a co-worker of Langley’s and a friend of her sister’s, said she set up the fundraising account during her lunch break Friday to help Langley’s four adult children – Matt, Sarah, Amanda and Megan – with the financial burden of losing their mother.

“For now, the money will be for the funeral costs, between that and a headstone, and it’s also going towards getting the kids back on their feet,” Thibault said Sunday. “Tricia and her husband rented the house, so without any income, the kids might not have a place to live.”

Thibault said two of Langley’s daughters are in their 20s and currently live at the home.

In a message posted on the fundraising website, Thibault said Langley “exemplified the concept of unconditional love at all times and in all circumstances.”

The page had been shared through social media about 1,300 times as of Monday morning.

“Mostly people from the community are stepping up, including relatives and friends, but there are people on that list that didn’t even know Tricia and have donated,” Thibault said.

With a fundraising goal set at $100,000, Thibault said they are “shooting for the stars.”